Vending apparatus.



/$F% M Q0723 8% CQPY " T. STQGKER:

VENDING APPARATUS.

v APPLIGATION FILED DEO.16, 1911.

g Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

T. STOGKBR.

VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 13130.16, 1911.

1,044,59 1 Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

a 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M anm THEODORE STDCKER, 01E GOVINGTON,

KENTUCKY.

VENDHTG AYPPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 18, 1911.

Patented Nov. 1 9, 1912.

Serial. No. 666,182.

1' '0 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, Tunononn S'rocunn, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Covington, county of Kenton, and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Ii'nprovements in Vending Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in vending apparatus and the coin-control inechanism for actuating such apparatus.

An object of this invention is to produce an improved vending apparatus which is capable otdelivering one or more artlcles each time it is actuated and which may be readily altered so that the number of articles delivered may be varied.

A further object is to produce a new and improved coin-controlled apparatus which is simpler in construction and more effective in operation than apparatus new in use orv known to me.

These and other objects attain in an anparatus embodying the features herein described, and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application.

In the awings i ignre l is a verticalsec- ,tional v i ulong the line 1--l of Fig. an view of a vending apparatus, invention, and I shown with emoved. Fig. 3 is a frag- Dration of the apparatus shown in Flt, and 2 and illustrates means employed for indicating Whether the ma chine contains articles for sale or is empty. .Fig; 'l is a perspective view of a ring and inst rumental-ities secured thereto which form details of my invention: a portion of the ring" is shown cut away for convenience of illustration. Fig. 5 is a partial front and sectional elevation of the casing of the coin controlled actuatingmechanism, forming a detail of my inventicn, a .portion of the cas inn is shown broken away for the conretr ience of illustration.

lieterring to the drawings: The apparatus illustrated as an embodiment of my a delivery passage 8 communicating "invention includes an exterior cylindrical casino- 6, which inc-loses one or more magazmes or containers. 7 and 1s provided with with all of the containers 7 and having an open end located on the front side of the ma- 1- chine, The casing; is provided with a top ends.

cover 9 which may he hinged thereto and which closes the tops of the magazines 7.

Any number of magazines may be included in apparatus embodying my invention but in the apparatus illurtrated I have shown four. which are located at approximately degrees apart within the casing (5. Any kind of merchandise, adapted to be sold in separate pieces or packages, such as candy, cigars or chewing-gum, may be located in the magazines but the machine illustrated is particularly adapted as a fruit vending machine and consequently the containers are arranged to receive fruit such as apples or pears. Each magazine is cylindrical and is provided with a longitudinally extending opening 10, through which fruit may be introduced, and a suitable cover 11 for the opening. The casing 6 is also provided with doors or .slides 12 in its cylindrical Wall through which access may be had to the openings 10 in the magazines.

The lower end of each magazine is open and the delivery of fruit from the open-end is controlled by means of a movable member, such for example a rotatable circular disk 13.. which is supported on a con trally located bearing and is adapted to be rotated by means of an intermeshing gear 14 and pinion 15, as will hereinafter be described. The disk 13. as illustrated, is located immediately below the magazines and is of such diameter that it closes their lower Apertures 15 are. however. provided in the disk 13 and are so located that each is adapted to register with one or another of the containers '7 when the disk is turned to certain positions. There are preferably many apertures 15, in the disk as there are magazines included in the apparotus and the disk actuating apparatus .is pret'- erahly so arranged that each aperture will be moved from the position below one magazine into registerwith the lower edge-0f the next adjacentimagazine. when the vending apparatus'is operated; I also provide cover plates, for the apertures 15 which. when they are in place on the disk 13 close the lower ends of the magazines. By employing these cover plates I anrable to vary the number of articles delivered by the ap naratus when it is operated. By closing all but one of the apertures 15 the apparatus is caused to deliver but one article each time it is operated and the number of articles de lot iii 1 144,:591

miy wail I provide but one projection which is to the red litmli "{"RQVQI pinion. he located adjacent: to the 0pm aperture eh Tv'i2'fi.55l116 is i I in the dish and will successively engage .208 are loautetl one the licilr'iinliis oi the abntments located imported one by in i'he urlja mi magazine as the bottoms of 7 ll UP'ClllOlit it is the magazines; are suwi.. ely opened by zilflillh Mr preventing the open. re. If it is desired to v in each nmgziiileliwr 31m i than one zii'lviele each time the en the l otu ipi 'liti *rutml it will he neei'zssary opened. The to proriue Utli'flflflli o w iting projection 7 fishing: this ('Ollfor each open. aperture 10.

' in emrh in line -in'iizge each. abutment shown ilizii it moves; zilliiiEhilil (l inter} on. it supporting belli'he nrtie' mil; for m: porpoise oi varying its posi therein 'prei'r ition to zirconiumihiie fruit of varying sizes. 80.

" i. when This i; zlCUUI p mll ltl by providing a longinsiino 111 opened. liulinni Sliji in the upright arm of each hella through a slot and in" :Ittlllll'lg the ahutments in he mag; (711 he hell-cranks by means of bolts roiiporates and \riiirh projerri through and engage the edges Gal on an upright of line I I have also pr j icled means i which pivoi'stlly for imimtingr nmgmsines of diil'erent sizes all with on the rii W for the mr iose oi? accommolower end iill'ltu of Lilli. -nt sizes. Earl: ring iimlrsiiied in i inx 'ileil with one or more set screws Li ii at enrh magazine 'i the lower edges of the "ring; I :unl a f are plc'ftti'tllly provided .lefl n th 11 fillers for engaging the upper l. i th this ari'angement he made ihtrrehmige 'p'i'nt'ns can be easily and varied lo .1cmnrmoelate fruit of difor. or evrn iio zmconnmy'late articles A in llllit-lllfttil l are formed minim o ly above the link 1 and is RU mired in any suitable nmnner to the Walls of ti iingi In .ie apparatus illllellljili ffl I have pro yitleri each ring with means; whii'nh supplement. the dish 13 in smp mriing the articles he magazine. The neuns illustrated of ting 24 adapted to occupy throng .Jit 1e Drel'eiw (Nil lCMG i lily ltltllill y. zi.-.iiions:. relatively to 1 19, while in l'he r-1np portir1g posi- 1..:.rl whii'i are adapted to be :LU'UF (I ljiiiiitlllilflllF pegipln ).-'-1iiion.=2. relati ely to the rings for of i'l' margin}; articles from in in: iiOli" gar line is. onward. 1' 4 are no invited i" 3 the utmh 110125; lll'll'l'l fitlh the i g of the lower ends zine. 12h linger .24 11. 'ii'viitzilly illfilllllttl on u. pin 25 mirrwrl by the lower (rig oncof the ring 19 and is provided kll miiei (fill will) :i islut; 26. which 18 in rumor 1i f2? rarrimfl h a 12G Each ring; concentric with I one i i the rings W and is .niilobly mounted 'iienlily thereon. The rin .v are held in predenrtirlo. if such ferininerl positions. relatively to their sup-- 'iilPli} each time porting" rings 19. by means of springs 29, l. L dish 1 most one enri of each of which seemed to an eyele 0, carried by the ring, and the other and lb secured to similar eyelet. mounted on the frame he springs are preferably so arranged lower ends of the magazine consists of tha the" corn l'he iii:

for

ar. r and ope/1'; lingers 2-1:, when lease'the levers 32 and permit '2 move to Zhc radial positions, the pull of l'hcsprings whe of the disk moves the apertures with the bol'loins of the mag The cams 31 are so located vmh to the positions of ti UTIS are moved to tn: perin iu'nnediatcly aflor the abu" been moved the forward or position, and the fingers are re radial or closed position imuie to the withdrawal of the abutnie in opp:

I ant lih:

it the i? The number of ar'liclcs delivereifi by ihe vending apparatus may be re ice ing the .mnnber of cams 31 euiplo disk 13. deliver but one article at a lime vending apparatus the disk 13 w' vided with but one cam 31 which ively engage the lovers sively actuate the different so ls of bat only one magaz operating posilion lo the next. M ll ii is desirable to so form tli projections 31 that they may he 1 nil on the disk 13, and inmiu may be varied when ii is llliBllll and lo each rime the disk 13 is niov For example, if .it is desired to fro the from For 1' .e (3&51130' emovably ihat their [esired lo vary (be number of articles deli mrecl by "El;

apparatus.

it will be understood that The are nol absolutely essenlial in th ins but that they improve its operation. r

the lingers 21 were not employed article in each magazine would (he lowest *l'ide along the surface of the disk as the disk turned and while such an arrangement be objectionable with some an chnndise it would be apt lo sea.

Kill

:cchs through "ul'l not or mar r .c-cling device for preventing the shaft iron: bein turned except upon the introdnction of coin into the machine.

The locking mechanism consists of a chel; wheel 38 and a cooperating pawl 39, ch prevent motion of the shaft 36 in one direction, and an arm 40, which prevents motion of the shaft in the opposite direction The raclie'i 35 is mounted on the shaft nd s engaging pawl pivotully mount- ;ivenien: porlion of the stationary 5 sud-is continually held in cngagethe wheel by a suitable sprin O is pivotally mounted on an exformed on the casing 6 and its i is is normally adapted to project nl'o path of travel of a stop 42, carried the shaft 36, audio thereby prevent forward motion of the shaft 36. The other end of the arm 0 is provided with a groove 43 which col'iperales with a similar groove 44, formed in the adjacen't end of a pivotally from a slot or chute 4:6 which terminates outside of the casing.

The zipper-bar 45, together with a tipperlever -17 and a lug 48, mounted on the shaft 313, forms means for moving the lower end of the arm 4L0 out of the path of the stop and thereby unlocking the shaft 36. The apparatus is, however, so arranged that this cannot be accomplished unless a coin is held in the position indicated at &9, by means "of the cooperating grooves 43 and 44.

'lhe ratchet wheel 38 is provided with relatively long ratchets andthe stop 42 is so located n the shaft relatively to the position of me ratchels that the shaft may be lurned through a limited angle while it remains locked against motion which would be sufficient to operate the vending apparatus. The lug 4-8 is so located on the shaft that it will engage and depress the tipperlinuted angle and will thereby actuate the ripper-bar if). 'The end of the tipper-bar so constructed that it will swing free of the adi'icent end of the arm 40 and will th refore be incapable of actuating the arm, unless a coin is located in the cooperating grooves: in and i4. When a coin is in l ig. 5 the ti ing the position of lhe arm l0 through the agency of the coin and of thereby moving its lower end out of the path of travel cl the stop $2. This is accomplished as follows: The first motion of the shaft 36 me lug 4:8 to actuate the tippcr ever i in turn tilts the bar s5.

3 Ill of the bar is imparted lo the arm mounted tipper-bar $5, in receiving a coin place in the grooves as is illustrated in pper-bar is capable of shift- Th tiltbar l? while the shaft is turned through this 1 03": the container, movabie 111 211115; (30

:mi for retaining t e rand-sling {viii ihe container during the om-mion charging one azticle the" 1 11, mu mounted. on the disk for mmting V. mentisned, means.

5. A vending machine comprising, a ma zzzi'n'e 01 separate articles, dis: mmm'tmi below aha magazine 01 controlling the 19 livery of articles therefrom, finger far segregating the article to be delivered 21 1C: for supporting the yemaining arfides durthe (lfilh'ering operation, means in a6- wting 511elength 0f the finger, and mes neuntel on the disk for controlling t station. of the finger.

6. A vending machine comprising. open ended container f0? ."enda b1e arfia u .n'uwable disk 100mm below tha amen e by the disk for closing the and. of

ation. '2'. A ending mach me somprism mes of open ended nugazmes, 1 mow 531s disk located below the maqazmes mwl ing an a ari'ure through which in railed he con-- min-e1 ;md controlling the delivery of? arii- 1 C195 therethrough and means mcnted Above j rides fie 

